Why are they called "French" fries?

[CookingWithGas]

*Originally posted by Arken *
**Hey! Next time I’m feeling a little randy I think I’ll ask my wife if she would enjoy a little patriot kissing! **

What would Little Randy think about that?

[Davebear]

*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead *
**Am I the only one here who thinks the whole “change name of french fries” is utterly ridiculous? **

Far from it.

[handy]

“No more French anything for me!”

Ah, sounds like Jay Leno yesterday. he said some congress person (?) is trying to change the name now, using ‘freedom’ instead of french, thus:
freedom fries
freedom kiss
etc…

[owlstretchingtime]

Actually chaps they’re really called chips. Don’t know how you’ve managed to get so overheated and confused. Calm down now, there’s good fellows.

Toodle pip.

[Achernar]

Did anybody understand that last post? It’s like it’s written in some foreign language.

[Running_with_Scissors]

*Originally posted by elfje *
the french in french fries does not mean french the nationality, it is short for “frenched”.
Frenched being “food cut in strips”. So you can have “french” anything. It’s frenched when cut into strips.

You didn’t follow the link in the second post, did you?

[milquetoast]

*Originally posted by Arken *
**Hey! Next time I’m feeling a little randy I think I’ll ask my wife if she would enjoy a little patriot kissing! **

As in “kissing the patriot missle”?

That’s not randy, that’s downright lascivious!

[PurplePerson]

This whole thread has been an interesting experience. I think I will call everything what they have always been called. I never really think of the French nation when I think of French fries or French dressing.

I wonder, however, what foods they have that begin with American or USA. We use lots of countries for our foods, but does anyone use us?

[handy]

Sure they do PP. Isn’t French Toast in France called American Toast?

[PurplePerson]

Good question.

[Dogface]

Does that mean that the actor “Stuart French” is now “Stuart Freedom”?

[Achernar]

*Originally posted by PurplePerson *
I wonder, however, what foods they have that begin with American or USA.

I guess if we ever get upset at ourself, American cheese will have to be renamed.

[Tripler]

Quoth the hearty soul known as friedo in this link:
**In Amusingly, they are now often called “American fries” in many countries. "

Does anyone else see the irony in this? Methinks them many other countries were way ahead of their time.

Also referring to the might of Cecil:
By the way, the verb “to french” in cooking has come to mean to cut in long, slender strips, and some people insist that “french fries” come from that term.

So, where the hell do we get “French Kissing” from? Gene Simmons’ tongue?
Tripler
Hey, it’s an honest question!

[owlstretchingtime]

*Originally posted by PurplePerson *
**
I wonder, however, what foods they have that begin with American or USA. We use lots of countries for our foods, but does anyone use us? **

Uk examples:

American cream soda

Kentucky fried chicken

There are foods we think of as american - burgers barbeques etc, but they don’t have special names.

TTFN!

[Diceman]

Am I the only one here who thinks the whole “change name of french fries” is utterly ridiculous?

Hell no. I have yet to meet a single person who’s reaction to this can’t be summed up as :rolleyes:, :o, or

This is a political equivalent of a toddler having a temper tantrum.

[Achernar]

You forgot :mad:, but I think I’m unique: I find it hilarious.

[Leaper]

To wrench this back on topic: is Cecil wrong, or is he not? I’ve seen assertions that he is, but what backs this up?

[samclem]

per**. You’ll probbly do better reading the other thread about the origins over at http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=133520
Dex wrote the article, not Cecil.

[samclem]

Leaper. Sorry I mangled your name.

cmkeller. I think I can best answer your cites by posting a copy of what I posted to the American Dialect Society Mailing LIst last night. So far, no one on the list has responded. But many of the members are university related, and tend to respond better M-F, 9-5.

MY post to ADS

Referring to a dish which involves dipping a piece of bread into an egg/milk mixture, then frying the bread, we come up with----

l. 1882 OED, “French Toast,” From F.E. Owens ‘Cook Book’
2. 1886, “Spanish Toast”, “HOW TO COOK WELL” (found by Barry).
3. 1887, “American Toast”, White House Cook Book(by Gilette).

There is an 1857 cite from Barry for German Toast, but it just ain’t the
same recipe. (So, IS there a “German Toast” cite pre-1900?) Here we have three different names for the same dish, all used in cook books
within a 5-year time frame. So what does that mean? What I would like to
know is:

l. Does a database search of say, 1880-1910, indicate that one term
predominated?
2. Would a database search of post-WWI indicate that German Toast
disappeared and French Toast prevailed?
3. Would a database search of 1900-42 vs. a database search from 1943-1960
indicate that there was a shift from “German Toast” to “French Toast?”

For what it’s worth, I called my mother last night. She was born in
Danville, VA. in 1923. She doesn’t remember eating or hearing of “French or
German Toast” until sometime in the 1950’s-60’s when she made it for me as a
youngster. For what it’s worth, she could be classified as a lower
middle-class white Southern American for most of her early years.

Could “French Toast” be a rather ‘Northern’ dish?